Trumpcare in trouble: McConnell stalls vote and resistance rises

[umbertino]

 

July 17, 2017 1:39 PM CDT By Mark Gruenberg

 

 

 

WASHINGTON – With the Republicans’ plan to repeal and allegedly replace the Affordable Care Act in continuing trouble, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kent., has again stalled a vote on his pet scheme.

 

That delay, beyond July 21, gives foes of the so-called Better Care Reconciliation Act even more time to mobilize against it and put pressure on wavering Republican senators to vote it down.

 

McConnell is touting the BCRA as the GOP “replacement” for the 7-year-old ACA, but its key provisions would throw 22 million people off of health care – 15 million of them next year – while providing a $900 billion-plus decade-long tax cut, with $700 billion of it for the rich and corporations.

 

Officially, McConnell stalled because one solon he’s counting on, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. is in the hospital recovering from surgery. But in real terms, the leader is stalling because, to paraphrase the late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, “Mr. McConnell is losing because he doesn’t have the votes.”

 

McConnell’s bill is losing both moderates, such as Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and right-wingers, such as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kent., for different reasons.

 

Collins worries about people who would lose health care coverage when Medicaid gets yanked and rural hospitals and clinics close. Paul wants a full repeal of the ACA, with no replacement at all. Two right wingers share Paul’s views. Other moderates, now including McCain, share Collins’ concern.

 

That puts McConnell’s bill on the edge. If he loses one more out of his 52 Republicans besides Collins and Paul, it fails.

 

That prospect has pushed millions of people into the streets, into phone calls and e-mails to senators’ offices and into occasional town halls with wavering Republicans. It’s also pushed Sen. Bernie Sanders, Ind.-Vt. – one of the two independents and 46 Democrats already committed to voting against McConnell’s bill — out onto the hustings to campaign strenuously against it.

 

His latest targets, speaking to a huge crowd at “Revolution Iowa” in Des Moines on July 14, were Sens. Jodi Ernst and Chuck Grassley, both R-Iowa, and both – until now – counted in McConnell’s camp. Sanders previously spoke to big crowds in Ohio and West Virginia, among other states, urging thousands to pressure Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. Va., and Bob Portman, R-Ohio, to oppose McConnell’s health care bill. Both are undecided.

 

“We need one more Republican vote, and I say to Sen. Grassley and Sen. Ernst, please take a hard look at what this disastrous legislation will do to the people of Iowa and the people of America,” Sanders told the Iowa crowd. “I say to them – I beg of them – please vote no on this legislation…This legislation is so bad, that the Republicans have refused to hold one public hearing and all of their deliberations are behind closed doors,” he said. “That’s how bad this legislation is.”

 

Meanwhile, Our Revolution, the descendant group from Sanders’ 2016 presidential bid, led 36 sit-ins at home-state offices of 21 GOP senators on July 7 to demand they vote against the bill. The protests drew at least 1,000 people, including members of the Working Families Party, the Progressive Democrats of America, ResistHere.org and the Democratic Socialists.

 

“We’ve seen the bill and we know who stands to lose the most: America’s poor and working families,” said Our Revolution leader Nina Turner. “We don’t need to wait for this devastating bill to be passed to hold legislators accountable. There are 22 million lives at stake and we will not stop fighting for the Senate to do the right thing and vote against this horrendous bill. We will continue to sit, stand and fight on until quality healthcare is available to all.”

 

“Trumpcare” – many activists’ name for McConnell’s measure – “has never been about health care. It’s a naked attempt to steal health care from millions of Americans in order to pay for massive tax cuts for the richest people in history,” said Working Families Party National Director Dan Cantor. “Even Republican senators must know in their hearts that this is wrong.” He predicted the activists would continue their fight, not just to defeat McConnell’s bill and similar legislation, but “to fight for a single payer system to kick profit to the curb and provide health care for all.”

 

Even more unions joined the war against the McConnell measure.

 

“Our fight is not over yet. All Letter Carriers should call their senators…and urge them to oppose this attack on middle-class workers and their families,” the union said. And the National Education Association, the nation’s largest union, headlined its action alert: “Call Now. Stop Trumpcare,” in big, boldface type.” NEA has more than three million members.

 

After providing a toll-free number –1-855-764-1010 – to call senators, NEA added: “Our students need your help. Among all the dangerous consequences this new ‘healthcare’ bill will have, one of the most alarming is how it will completely dismantle Medicaid. Senate Republicans are feeling the pressure from your calls – we must keep it up!

 

“One-third of all children in America receive their health insurance through Medicaid, but for our students and their families this isn’t only about insurance. Medicaid provides $4 billion per year for healthcare services in our nation’s schools – that’s vision checks and hearing screenings, physical and occupational therapy for students with disabilities, and other critical services that keep our students healthy and ready to learn.”

 

Activism went online, too. Credo Action joined the crusade by buying “#ResistTrumpcare” billboards in five states, getting 45,000 people to call senators, producing anti-Trumpcare videos which it claimed drew 20 million views and collecting 650,000 signatures on an electronic petition against the bill.

 

 

McConnell's problem is that if he changes the already bad bill enough to please right-wing libertarian Rand Paul (left), he will lose the support of Susan Collins (right). And if he changes it to satisfy the demands of Collins, he will lose the support of Rand Paul. | Composite photo - both via AP

 

 

 

http://www.peoplesworld.org/article/trumpcare-in-trouble-mcconnell-stalls-vote-and-resistance-rises/

[bostonangler]

With health-care legislation dead, House Republicans kick off effort on tax reform

7:37 a.m. ET

 

 

Win McNamee/Getty Images

On Monday, the Republican hopes to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act this year essentially died, but by Tuesday morning the GOP was already moving on to the next big battle, a tax overhaul. On Tuesday morning, the House Budget Committee released its 2018 budget blueprint, which calls for significant increases in defense spending matched by $203 billion in cuts to domestic social programs like Medicare, Social Security, federal employee benefits, and welfare over the next decade. Crucially, it also sets up a procedural mechanism that could allow Senate Republicans to overhaul the tax code with no support from Democrats.

"In past years, our proposals had little chance of becoming a reality because we faced a Democratic White House," House Budget Committee Chairwoman Diane Black (R-Tenn.) said Tuesday, calling the blueprint "not just a vision for our country, but a plan for action" and "a governing document with real solutions to address our biggest challenges."

The first challenge will be getting the budget plan approved in the House, starting with a committee markup on Wednesday and an expected committee vote on Thursday. The GOP's far-right Freedom Caucus and more centrist Tuesday Group are already attacking the budget as too little in cuts and too harsh, respectively. The increases in defense spending would also require approval from Senate Democrats, as they would exceed the caps in the 2011 Budget Control Act. Peter Weber

 

 

Okay boys, let's see what you got after healthcare...

 

B/A

[Shabibilicious]

One of these days the Republican majority may actually pass something of substance......Don't laugh, it could happen.  I look for them to pass a bill where only a 20% Yay vote constitutes a majority.  

 

GO RV, then BV

[umbertino]

 

Senate will vote to repeal Obamacare without replacement, after new healthcare bill stumbles

 

Republican Mitch McConnell calls for vote on clean repeal, after senators Mike Lee and Jerry Moran come out against latest effort to replace Obamacare

 

 

Ben Jacobs in Washington

Tuesday 18 July 2017 13.16 BST

 

 

Vid in link

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/17/republican-health-bill-senators-oppose-vote

 

 

 

'Kill the bill':

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/17/republican-healthcare-bill-vote-delay-activists-protest

Edited July 18, 2017 by umbertino

[umbertino]

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/18/american-healthcare-crossroads-universal-healthcare

[RV ME]

Glad to see Trumpcare or Ryancare, or whatever care you want to call it failed to pass, but unfortunately that means Obummercare is still the law of the land.  The polyticks swamp creatures better repeal it, or say hello to Speaker Facelift again.

[pattyangel]

They won't pass anything, because they know Trump will veto it. Trump was for a repeal.

Before Obama would veto everything.

Obama care was designed to collapse so the government can takeover with one party pay. 

REPEAL OR GET OUT OF THE WAY.

 

Pelosi is drooling to get back in there. You're correct RV ME, she's loosing moisture, she'll need more than a facelift.

[Shabibilicious]

8 minutes ago, pattyangel said:

They won't pass anything, because they know Trump will veto it. Trump was for a repeal.

Before Obama would veto everything.

Obama care was designed to collapse so the government can takeover with one party pay. 

REPEAL OR GET OUT OF THE WAY.

 

Pelosi is drooling to get back in there. You're correct RV ME, she's loosing moisture, she'll need more than a facelift.

 

Trump has said numerous times how great of a repeal and REPLACE program he will provide for the American people, patty.  Here are some of his tweets on the matter.  

 

 

 

GO RV, then BV

Edited July 19, 2017 by Shabibilicious

[pattyangel]

REPEAL and replace. First word he mentions in both these tweets.

[Shabibilicious]

17 minutes ago, pattyangel said:

REPEAL and replace. First word he mentions in both these tweets.

 

It would stand to reason that a repeal would come before a REPLACE.......You however are either deflecting or directly ignoring the ENTIRETY of Donald's tweets and subsequent stance on healthcare.  Not sure why you would do that.....you have nothing to lose by accepting the facts.  

 

GO RV, then BV

[Shabibilicious]

5 hours ago, pattyangel said:

REPEAL and replace. First word he mentions in both these tweets.

 

Fresh off the presses, patty.  

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-tells-republicans-health-care-done-181525532.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[RV ME]

So the swamp won this battle, but the fight is not over.  And as Patty said, repeal is the key, replace must come afterward.  Obummercare should never have made it out of Congress, and should have been rules unconstitutional simply because of the way the law was written.  But since it is still the law of the land it must be wiped from the books and only be remembered as the skidmark that it has always been.

 

As written, the HHS Secretary has wide latitude to change the law based on……..nothing but what they want the law to be at that time.  Historically this would not pass Constitutional muster.  But since in this day and age it has, if I were Trump I would counterpunch the polyticks in the swamp with the following;

 

“It is said that one must hit bottom before beginning the climb back up.  Regarding the horrible law the Democrats in Congress passed and the Republicans now refuse to repeal, apparently Congress has not hit bottom yet.  Understandably, since they were granted an exemption from the prior administration weaseling their way out of the law they created.  So beginning immediately this administration will rescind all previous waivers and changes to the law by the previous administration.  And the very first wavier to be rescinded will be the one exempting Congress and their staff from participating in the exchanges as written in the law. Instead of looking at every issue as to how it will affect the various political parties, and even worse yet how it will affect you individual re-election, do the job you were sent here to do and work for the American people.”

 

As for the replacement, I am open minded but it will not have my support if the government is involved in any way.  Why is health insurance not available like car, home, or life insurance?  The only involvement of government should be to remove the restrictions on selling insurance, not declaring those who make 400% above the poverty level to now be in poverty and eligible to receive “free healthcare”.  I am sick of polyticks buying votes with other people’s money.